Star Wars: Knights of Remnant
by jankmaster98
Summary: In the wake of the Sith Triumvirate, the Jedi have been hunted down and driven to near extinction, the Republic nearly crumbling and barely holding onto hope. In this chaos one ship bearing the knowledge of ages past crashes on an uncharted planet in the Outer Rim. Its cargo will find its way into the hands of one young man. Jaune Arc, It is time to step into a much larger world.
1. Prologue: Another Happy Landing

Disclaimers and Introductions

Welcome one and all to Jankmaster98's union of Star Wars and the World of RWBY, wherein the Force, the Grimm, and all that good stuff is going to come together to build a journey that will hopefully not end in a cluster bomb of Overpowered ideas and what not. I don't own Star Wars or RWBY, so without further a do, let's get to it!

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A Long Time Ago In a Galaxy Far Far Away...

 **Star Wars**

 **Knights of Remnant**

 _Turmoil rocks the cosmos! The defeat of the Sith Trimutive by the Jedi Exile has brought an uneasy peace upon the galaxy at large, a Jedi Order with numbers so few must pick up the shattered pieces of their legacy. In these dark days, the leadership of important figures such as Revan, the prodigal knight, and the Jedi Exile is mysteriously missing. As the scattered survivors of the Sith purges band together, some pieces of valuable and dangerous portions of history are being lost to the ravages of time and the scope of the cosmos. Carrying a precious cargo, Zabrak Jedi Master Durant Hess has been charged with the protection of items that could forever change the course of Galactic History..._

Everything was flashed and beeping, not a good sign when you were a pilot. The cockpit of the Dynamic Class was starting to sound like alarm clock what was set to overdrive as damage from both the recent battle and impromptu hyperspace jump took its toll. At least he managed to jump into a system. This portion of the galaxy was far off the normal hyperspace lanes, it was almost a damn miracle that he didn't fly into a star or crash right into a black hole. Typing in random coordinates wasn't his smartest idea, but when the navicomputer was fried that was the best he could do really. Someone must've sold him out, the Zabrak Jedi lamented, that pirate fleet came upon him too quickly, too suddenly. Who could it have been? He had been so careful over the long years. Ever since he was given this mission by the council in the early days of the Jedi Civil War, he had been the guardian of these dangerous pieces of history. Even after the end of that conflict though, then came another. The Sith had not given up their dreams of extinguishing the light of the Jedi Order from the galaxy just because Revan had been redeemed and Malak dead with his Star Forge. It was part of why Durant had never revealed himself like the other masters did during the purges.

The Force had other plans for him it seemed, plans that right now seemed to involve burning up in the middle of space. Killing some of the sublight engines to try and cut speed, the Jedi's freighter continued to groan and shake as metal sheared off the hull in strips and plates. Thruster controls weren't working properly and there was little in the way of control of acceleration or deceleration. The best that could be said was that life support was still working and toxins hadn't flooded into the cockpit. The yellow star that this system apparently based itself off of was getting closer and closer as was one of the planets that looked vaguely like Alderaan from this distance. It also appeared to have a moon that saw signs of damage? A weapon of some sort, the result of a war? Perhaps but he could get no reading on any ships or space stations in the area. It could be that was the fault of the busted sensors but that there seemed to be no ships in the area made it seem like this was not a planet that had a space-faring civilization. With no hyperspace routes, easy ones at least, that lead to this location perhaps it should not have been a surprise.

Damn it there wasn't much choice was there? He was going to have to attempt a landing. Seizing the joystick with renewed determination, Master Hess pulled back hard and attempted to angle a reentry that was nothing like standard protocol. Somehow though, despite all the chaos and noise around him, as he drew nearer to the planet he felt a sense of calm come over him. It was if the Force itself was calling him towards this place, the Living Force did work in mysterious ways after all. As the planet drew closer and closer Hess began to sense that this was a world full of life in a myriad of forms. Nothing to the extent of Coruscant or Taris (Pre-Malak) surely, but clearly this was an inhabited world. Light and dark were at play here, he could sense, it appeared a great struggle was on hand. Was it his part to have a role in this struggle? He knew not but he knew that he had to try to land this craft! Entering the planet's atmosphere at high velocity, heat uncharacteristic of a happy landing scorched the outer hull. It took all his effort to stop the craft from burning up before it even reached the ground, now the next step was to attempt to land somewhere that wasn't filled with water. This wouldn't be easy seeing as most of the planet was covered with it.

It was at this point, as mechanical skill failed him, that the Jedi then choose to let go. Computers, engines, metal, they were all about to fail him. With all of that gone, it was time to turn to something else. Taking a deep breath, the Jedi Master closed his eyes and reached out once more to the Force. Instead of gripping the joystick like a vice, he let his grip relax and let instinct guide his movements. The sound of alarms blaring, the heat of the metal that was yet to cool, all these things were distractions. More than anything else he was a Jedi, the Force was his guide. The physical world that the Sith would see to rule and control, he let that wash over him as he made quick and sharp movements with the controls. He was not seeing it at the moment, but everything he did was leading him closer and closer to one of the continents that rose up from the sea. It was also leading him quite a ways away from the major population centers, though some would doubtlessly see the metal hulk cutting its way through the sky. No amount of skill or knowledge, however, could salvage this landing. At the very least, not him. He could see it now, as he concentrated a bit more. It was not his place to make a great journey here. No, it was another's. If he had more time more focus, he could see it in his mind's eye. He could see whom this path was made for. If only he had more time... Then... there was nothing.

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"Mom? Dad? Anyone?" Jaune Arc shouted through the trees, only to receive nothing but echoes in return. "Hello?"

How did he get separated from his family this time? Jaune scratched his head as he tried to remember how he lost track of where his parents and his sisters when they always as loud as a circus troupe marching through the woods. Strangely, he didn't feel so lost as he perhaps should've. He was only nine years old and alone in the woods, however, there wasn't panic setting in yet. Despite all the things that could go wrong out here, it felt as though a presence was calling out to him, telling him things were going to be alright.

Now he recognized at least something, he remembered now. Early he thought he heard something roaring above the treeline but he could not see it above the canopy. He was following it, wasn't he? Against reason and sense, he wanted to discover what it was that made that sound. Was it some sort of plane or some sort of Grimm? He didn't know and for some reason that excited him more than it frightened him. Without the chattering and arguing of his family, the young Arc now found himself listening more to the forest itself and the little sounds it made. Wind whistling through the trees while birds and other small animals scurrying about filled his ears, and Jaune also thought he could hear a stream in the distance. His footfalls scrunching on the damp leaves joined into a steady rhythm, moving forward towards something he knew absolutely nothing about. He had a feeling that whatever he had heard was close, he couldn't see it, but he knew that he was going the right direction

He wondered if his parents and his sisters were looking for him right now, scrambling desperately to find their young child before something awful happened to him. He didn't know how long he was walking, whether it was for minutes or hours, but soon enough there were signs he was close. The smells changed first, the fresh air of the forest giving way to a slightly smoky aroma. Next, the sounds changed, no longer could he hear the sounds of the life of the woods. Now he heard groaning and straining metal and the crackling of small fires. Slowly but surely what he began to see changed as well. The trees here were now broken and shattered things, no doubt devastated by whatever it was that crashed here. Eventually, Jaune saw where the ship had at least partially touched down. Here the trees were all but shattered and a massive path of dirt was plowed through in a mostly straight line. Jaune followed this path, careful not to get too close to the small fires that flickered around, and then he saw it.

The young boy had seen airships before, he had taken one into Mistral for this trip in the first place, but this thing was unlike anything he had ever seen before. It wasn't that it was larger than any of the ships Jaune had gazed upon, he had once seen an Atlas Airship during a parade, but this still had a look that clearly set it apart from the other flying craft he'd seen before. Though he wasn't a mechanic, Jaune could see that this thing had taken a lot of damage in the crash. The ship was broken apart in many places with the hull having lost plates and panels aplenty. Jaune would've starred more at his discovery but he then heard the distinct sounds of coughing and gagging coming from inside the ship. Emerging from one of the broken corners of the ship was someone that looked to be some sort of horned Faunus to Jaune. He had lines across his face and several horns sticking out from his head, and in addition to that, he was dressed in strange robes that didn't look like normal clothes. The Faunus was clutching his side and what Jaune could only assume was blood seemed to be leaking onto his cloak. As he emerged from the ship he briefly tried to stand before tumbling onto the ground. Seeing the hurt man Jaune quickly rushed over to him, strangers were just friends you hadn't met yet, right?

"Who... where?" His voice was very weak, he would need help. Jaune went into his backpack and got out his canteen.

"My name's Jaune, mister. You look like you're hurt bad," Jaune held out his canteen to the Fauns who grasped it with an unsteady hand.

"Thank you, Jaune I- Look out!" Jaune found himself tossed to the side by an unseen force as the Faunus man leaped to his feet.

Turning around from his position face down on the ground, Jaune saw a small pack of three beowolfs bearing down on the man. Panic set in as Jaune wondered what he could do. He was just a kid and this man was hurt. He didn't look like a Huntsman, what were they going to do? It was then a new sound cut through the forest, another sound Jaune had never heard before. A clashing clang that then gave way to a low hum as something blue shone in the light of day. In the Faunus' hands was some sort of metal cylinder, and from that cylinder, a pillar of white light surrounded by an aura of blue. The weapon of a Huntsman? Jaune knew his family's ancient sword was once the tool of Huntsmen of ages past, but a simple blade wasn't something most of the defenders of the people used in the modern era. And yet, seeing that blade Jaune felt some sort of hope spring up in his heart. He didn't know how or why, but seeing that man with his blade raised in the air gave him some sort of reassurance this would be okay.

The Grimm leaped at the Faunus, howling and snarling with horrible ferocity, but even as the monster moved fast the man moved faster. Charging forward, seemingly unafraid of the creature, he moved in with a wide slash that quickly cut the beast in two. There was no doubt in Jaune's mind now, this guy must've been some sort of Huntsman. He had to be, nobody else could kill a Grimm that easily. The first beast dead, the other two tried to close in but the man was too fast. As easily as he had killed the first beast he stabbed his sword through the skull of another. While that was happening the other tried to swipe his claws at him, but the man simply raised his hand and the beowolf stopped. Jaune wondered what he was doing for a moment before suddenly he saw the beowulf rise off the ground and into the air. The boy's eyes were as wide as dinner plates and his mouth was agape as the Grimm went sailing high into the air before it was slammed into a tree. That wasn't the end of it however, as a finishing blow the Faunus threw his sword at the pinned beowolf. The blade spun rapidly in the air, blue light blurring where it began and where it ended until it lodged itself directly into the Grimm's chest.

Awe and wonder were all that could be said to be going through Jaune's mind right now as the blade deactivated part of itself until only the metal cylinder remained. With that same power he used to move the Grimm, the stranger pulled the cylinder back to him before placing it on his belt.

"Are you alright young one, I did not- arrhhh!-" Jaune's savior collapsed onto his knees and Jaune once more rushed to his side.

Blood now was becoming more and more evident on his cloak, staining the light brown a dark red. Jaune had seen people get hurt before, but this was something beyond what he'd ever known.

"Mister, mister, are you gonna be okay?" Jaune asked frantically, not wanting anything bad to happen to this man who had just saved his life, "What's your name, how did you do all that? What happened to you?"

"I... I am Jedi Master Durant," He coughed roughly before he caught his breath again, "Durant Hess, little one. I.. My ship it's..."

"Your ship?" Jaune looked at the damaged hulk of metal, "You mean your plane? Your thing doesn't look like a boat? And... What's a Jedy?"

"Jedi, and," Another cough, this one rougher than the last, "My time, my time is at an end."

"Mister Hess, what do you mean, what's happening? What's going on?" Jaune felt as though millions of questions were running through his head and he wasn't getting any answers.

"There isn't time, I'm sorry, Jaune," The Faunus took a deep breath and then he looked more peaceful than before, relaxed and calm even as he was hurt something awful, "You... I see it, I can see the Force in you."

"The what? I don't understand?"

"The Force does not need to be understood, it merely needs to be listened to. You hear it and it answers you as you answer back," From his cloak, the man pulled out some sort of cube and placed it in Jaune's hands. "This is yours now, little one. Keep it secret, keep it safe. I can see your path before me now. These are your first steps."

"Hold on what do you mean, what is this? I want to know!" Jaune sounded like a pouting child at the moment, but none of this made sense!

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, trust your instincts young man, and May the Force be with You," With those words, the man stopped breathing and then as soon as that had occurred his body faded into nothingness.

His cloak and everything else remained as proof he had been there, but as to the man himself, he was gone. Jaune wanted to cry to scream, to do something to vent his frustration at this turn of events, but instead, his heart and mind were drawn to the little cube the man had given him, and the metal cylinder that he had left behind. Jaune was afraid to touch it, he had never once considered messing with the weapon of Huntsman or a... what was it again? Jedi? Yet something told him it would not be proper to leave this metal thing here for others to find. As long as he didn't mess with its buttons or anything he probably wouldn't hurt anyone. Yet as cool as that thing was, something in his mind told him the far more important object was the small cube no bigger than his puzzle cubes at home. It had a weird design to it, lots of details and little shapes inside other shapes. Like the metal cylinder he put it in his pack, he'd look at it more at the hotel or maybe he'd wait until he got back home. Though Jaune Arc could not have known it at the time, these were his first steps into a much larger world, and indeed, all of Remnant's first steps into a much larger galaxy.

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A/N: And so as one Jedi's journey ends, another's will begin. Durant Hess is an original character created for this fic. The next chapter will cut right to the arrival of Jaune Arc at Beacon Academy. What will change in the years since receiving the Jedi Holocron? Find out next time, leave reviews if you can, and have a nice day!


	2. That's Why I'm Here

Chapter 2: That's Why I'm Here

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The motion of the airship through the sky was soothing to some. For a few people airships, cars, and just motion, in general, could even help make them fall asleep. Not for one young man, 17 years of age dressed in a brown hoodie that was worn underneath the white metal armor. Jaune Arc student of Beacon Academy was trying to meditate and clear his mind. Steady breaths would help, that was what he was taught. Reach into yourself and expand your mind to the Force. Easier said than done when you had motion sickness like he did. He could try using some of the Force to help calm himself, but Jaune was resolved to get through this himself. Almost instinctively Jaune's hand brushed down into his pocket where it found the comfortable and familiar steel frame of his holocron. Ever since that day almost a decade ago, that little box had become his most prized possession. The little box that fit in the palm of his hand, it was the secret to so much more than he could ever have dreamed of when he was nine years old.

As bad of an idea it probably was to keep the holocron in something as fallible as a pocket, Jaune didn't exactly trust any sort of baggage claims for safe handling of cargo. He and his sisters had been on the receiving end of enough rouge handling of their luggage to know how that usually went. For eight years Jaune had worked to understanding this little thing, this contraption he now knew to be called a holocron; and he could tell that he was only beginning to scratch the surface of what it contained. Running his fingers along the contours of the contraption, he had to stop himself mentally from subconsciously opening it with the Force. That had been his first test all those years ago, and though he could now open the holocron with ease, so much of it was still secret to him.

The aircraft shook again, probably from hitting some rough air, and Jaune looked out the window to see that it was actually storming outside now. That was funny, it was mostly clear skies when they were leaving the city. Either way, the rain outside was rather heavy, and Jaune was surprised he did not notice it earlier. Perhaps he had been too deep into his thoughts to notice. Live in the moment right? Be attached and listen to the Living Force? Easier said than done. Jaune could sense a few of the other passengers on the airship were feeling a bit uneasy about the rainfall, while he actually was a bit thankful for it. Having the sound of the raindrops against the windows gave him something to focus on. Even if the wind buffeted the airship, he could focus on the rain. Then came the thunder and lightning, apparently this wasn't going to be a squall that passed quickly. The airship was as safe as anyplace, but still. Jauane wondered if maybe this ship had umbrellas or something aboard. He would've hated to get his hoodie and armor drenched, and his raincoat was packed away in his baggage; by the sounds of grumbling around him and the emotions he was sensing, a lot of people had made that same mistake.

The remainder of the flight was uneventful, with a brief introduction to the school given by one Professor Glynda Goodwitch. The transmission was a bit garbled from the storm though, even though it was probably a pre-recording rather than a live message. Soon enough the airship and others like it made it to the landing platform amidst the gray skies and pouring rain. The motion of the airship beneath him finally steadied, Jaune got up to his feet slowly to let everything get back into gear properly. Students were scrambling to get out of the airship now, some of them with their bags others without. Jaune decided to take it easy for a minute, letting others filter out of the ship before making his way out. All that pushing and shoving that came with being the first one out of the aircraft wasn't worth it. Especially when you were just going to be walking into a storm. Well, into the school away from the storm but either way there would be time spent in that downpour.

Well, nothing for it but to go out there and get into the storm. Pulling up his hoodie over his head, Jaune hoped that despite the fact that it was mostly cotton and polyester that his hoodie would help protect his head. It wasn't that he was going to be totally put out by the rain, but still. Jaune wasn't the last one off the ship but he was certainly coming at the late part of the pack as he stepped out of the transport. Everyone was running for the cover of something, with very few people apparently packing umbrellas. Stepping off from the gangplank into the storm, Jaune took notice of someone apparently lying on the ground with their face looking high in the sky. Jaune could sense a bit of dismay and despair coming from the form on the ground, and nobody should be left alone in the rain like that. Walking up to the fallen figure he saw the face of a girl with silver eyes that shined even in the gray skies.

"Hello there," Jaune said as he held out his hand to help the girl up, "Resting easy after a busy first day?"

"You could say that again," She took Jaune's hand and rose up to her feet carefully. It wouldn't do her any good to fall in the rain again, "I don't recognize you from the ship, my name's Ruby."

"Jaune, you always like to take in the rain face up?" His asked from beneath the protection of his hood, while Ruby's face looked as though she'd just gone swimming.

"No! It's just, things happen. I was walking and I tripped, and there was Dust and there was the rain and..." She took a deep breath, awkwardly shuffling her feet around while she remembered that it wasn't exactly sunny skies up above, "We should probably get out of the rain and head inside, shouldn't we?"

"That sounds like a good idea, the storm doesn't sound like it's gonna get any easier on us," Jaune remembered from the little map he was shown of the school where the big first meeting hall was, "C'mon, I'm pretty sure the big hall is this way."

"Thanks, I just hope my sister is saving a spot for me!" Ruby and Jaune then both jogged at a quick pace towards the safety of the main hall.

At this point, the wind was whipping wildly enough for the raindrops to land horizontally into Jaune's face, and he lamented that of all the things he packed a hair dryer wasn't one of them. Or actually, maybe one of his sisters might've done it for him. Rosemary and Azura insisted on being the ones in charge of his luggage. Their reasoning was mostly built upon the lines that Jaune would probably forget everything but his hoodie and a T-Shirt if left to back on his own. That wasn't totally true, but there were a few times that Jaune did have to run to a thrift store during a vacation to buy replacement clothes. Wait, Rosemary was packing, that meant that... Oh no. It was waiting for him in his bag, wasn't it? By the Force... First thing once he got the chance, new PJs.

Soon enough Jaune and Ruby made it inside the main hall, both of them drenched in the rainwater with small puddles forming beneath them. Everyone else didn't look much better though. At this rate, the floor was gonna look like a swamp. It didn't help that a lot of it was carpeted either. Jaune noticed Ruby was scanning the crowd for someone, probably the sister she mentioned earlier.

"Oh, I see my sister, Yang!" Ruby cheered excitedly, pointing to a blonde girl who looked ready to lash out at anyone at any moment. Clearly, this was someone who was not happy about the rain. "I'll catch up with you later Jaune, it was nice meeting you!"

Jaune was about to say likewise but then the girl was off in a rush. He lost sight of her through the sea of people, and he did not feel inclined to reach out to seek with the Force. All these people gathered, all this power, it did make it a bit difficult to focus. The Force was strong here, among these people, even if they did not know it. Jaune himself didn't nearly know enough about it, truth be told. Regardless of what answers he did or did not have, it did feel right to be here. He was taught that the Force would lead you to the right places and people if you listened to it. Though right now, it was time to listen to something else for a change. Namely the headmaster of the Academy up on the stage. Headmaster Ozpin, in contrast to nearly all the students here, was perfectly dry and poised, his outfit bearing not a single stain or blemish. He looked a tired man, lines of aging were etched clearly upon his face. His voice was a calm tone, but in it, you could feel the weight of years and wisdom in it.

"I know you are all eager to dry yourselves off after the sudden onset of the weather so I'll get to the point," He didn't seem all that enthusiastic about this speech, but then again he'd probably given plenty like this many times before.

"You have come here to be Hunstmen and Huntresses, to become the servants of the people. You have come in search of the knowledge that will make you greater than you once were. Yet if there is anything I wish to teach here, it is that it is within you to take initiative with your gifts. Knowledge and skill, information and technique, is useless without the drive to see it put to proper use."

Without anything else, the Headmaster promptly walked off the stage. Something did feel a bit off, but Jaune's grasp of sensing the emotions of others apparently was not attuned enough to get a reading on the headmaster. Either way, Ozpin was quickly replaced by Professor Goodwitch who dismissed the assembled students. However, she did have news that sent a cheer through almost everyone as the Professor said that carts full of hot towels were to be delivered to the room. Perhaps predicting what was about to happen, the all the members of the staff quickly left the room after that; once the carts rolled into the room it was pure chaos. If Jaune thought that the rush to get out of the rain was bad, the stampede for fresh towels, hot towels, was something out of an adventure movie. Young men and women stomped and crashed into each other for the cloth instruments of drying, from the corner of his eye Jaune thought he saw Ruby and Yang mow down a group of other students in an attempt secure their pair. Jaune had a much more subtle approach to this conundrum.

With the chaos of the scramble for towels, nobody really noticed one towel flying through the air that just so happened to land in Jaune Arc's hands. By the Force, he needed this though. The towel was fresh out of the drying machine warm and Jaune quickly made use of it to remove the invading rainwater from his flesh. It was clear to many that there wouldn't be enough of the things to go around, and Jaune wondered if soon there were going to be weapons drawn out in the clash for the cloths of drying.

"You will not take it from me!" Came the high pitched shriek of a girl who was holding onto a towel for dear life. Who appeared to have no fear in her expression despite the fact that she was staring down at least five other female forms who wanted that towel.

Okay, this was getting out of hand. Jaune had his towel, his warm, soft, synthetic fiber towel. It was time to make a break for it. Ducking his way in and around the students jumping and dash around each other, Jaune applied a small amount of the Force to achieve a burst of speed. Calling upon his limited command that mysterious energy field, there was a noticeable spring in Jaune's step, and he also applied his abilities to achieving the reflexes needed to anticipate and move around this maelstrom. Jaune looked back behind him to see that it was now descending into an all-out brawl for the towels with students literally climbing on top of each other holding towels like one would hold the flag of a defeated enemy. Man, if this was what the school was gonna be like all the time, it was either gonna be the best or worst place ever depending on your point of view. Didn't seem like much of a place of peace and focus, but then again sometimes to really understand life and the Force, it was best to just jump into it. His instructions weren't exactly always clear on what really was best for an aspiring Jedi. Being caught in that storm in the main room probably wasn't something that would help him right now. Jaune would escape this carnage, for now, his own prize secure. Hopefully, tomorrow would not see another storm like this, indoors or out.

* * *

It was here, it was here staring him in the face. He didn't want to believe it, but here it was. Right where it ought to be, even when he really wished that it was not. The blue onesie, that comfortable but all too embarrassing garment that would not leave him. Jaune searched deeper into his bags for anything else that might be used to sleep in, but he came up short. Really, why had he trusted his two younger sisters to handle his luggage? Oh right, because he was too busy practicing what he had learned from the holocron. Too bad there wasn't any Jedi technique for creating clothes out of thin air. Or maybe there was, for even after all these years, Jaune felt as though he was still scratching the surface of what the little cube had to offer. Right now though he was sitting down in the ballroom on a sleeping bag, knowing that sooner or later he was going to have to change into that blue onsie that probably wouldn't be looked on with much admiration or respect. Again his hands drifted down into his pockets, checking once more for the presence of the holocron. He really needed to think of a better place to hide and store it. Once he got a dorm, that would probably be his chance to make some sort of little hideaway for it.

Jaune wanted to open it again, talk and train with the Gatekeeper of the holocron. It was just a computer program by its own admission, but sometimes Jaune wondered if there was a little piece of the original maker's soul in that device. There was a deep sadness in how the projection talked and taught; even if it was just a recording. The Gatekeeper talked about more than just techniques and powers. He talked about vast worlds beyond countless stars, wars that created the greatest heroes and villains the galaxy had seen, histories thousands of years in the making, and tragedies and losses on the most personal of levels. It blew a young Jaune Arc's mind away when he first heard it all, and it still amazed him even today; thinking about all that lay beyond this one world. There were times Jaune looked up at the night's sky and wondered if that star over there was the one around which Onderon, Coruscant, or Yavin was orbiting at this very moment. It could really make someone feel small if you thought about it a lot. One person in a big wide galaxy, especially when most people you knew only knew about this one world right here.

It all sounded crazy actually, and if someone had told him any of this, he would've written it off as bad fiction. Who wouldn't? Dust, the great power source of Remnant, couldn't get anything into space. How could anyone travel to other planets, build star-spanning republics, and explore distant solar systems without Dust? Yet Jaune knew what he'd seen and heard all those years ago when that Jedi crashed in the forest. That man wasn't a Faunus, he was an Iridonian, he wasn't flying an airship, he was flying a starship with a hyperdrive, and he wasn't a Huntsman, he was a Jedi of the Republic. If what he had seen with his own eyes and what he had been taught to do with this holocron were real, then all the history that the holocron revealed to him must've had truth to it as well. Exar Kun, Nomi Sunrider, Teta the Empress, they all must've existed at some point. They all must've lead these lives he was learning about through this cipher.

Looking at the clock, Jaune noticed that it was not yet 8 o'clock. The storm outside continued to rage, lightning and thunder sporadically appearing to punctuate the minutes. Well, before he had to turn in for the night and wear what PJs he had, Jaune decided to do just a little bit more meditating on the Force. Here it was again, one of the first things he was taught, and still one of the hardest. Not sleeping but not waking, not seeing but not dreaming, not letting go of the Force, but not grabbing for it. He didn't take to it incredibly well, but he did feel as though practice made perfect with this sort of thing. Calm breaths and an open mind. If you called to the Force and you were willing to listen, it should come to you. He didn't know how much time had passed once he started, but soon enough it began. That feeling of leaving behind the world of the physical, and touching an intangible expression of life itself. He began to hear whispers, echoes of thoughts and emotions. Try as he might Jaune could never truly read the thoughts of others, though he had begun to sense emotions and intent. A part of him didn't want to try and pry further into someone else's mind, thinking that sort of thing a large invasion of privacy. For now, the young Jedi contented himself mastering the process of reaching out into the Force and merely observing the emotions of others.

As he held the meditative trance, he began to have his attention drawn to an argument happening in one of the far corners of the room. Anxiety, frustration, annoyance, and all those things were coming from that spot. Jaune thought he felt Ruby's particular presence in the Force in this location, and for a moment Jaune considered whether or not he should go over there and see what actually was going on. So focused was he on that which was occurring in the corner that he failed to notice the energy and excitement bounding up to approach him now. If he had he would've noticed the orange haired ball of energy with her face very very close to his own.

"Whatcha doing over there?"

"Ah!" Jaune was startled out of his meditative trance and actually fell backward. Looking up he saw blue eyes gazing at him with an inquisitive look that reminded Jaune of when his younger sister Azura found something interesting.

"Oh, you okay there? I didn't mean to really startle you, it's just that you looked so funny. Sitting there I knew you weren't asleep because people don't sleep sitting up. Unless they're in a car or plane or boat. I kinda slept on the airship here actually." She talked fast, and Jaune coming out of his trance wasn't quite equipped to keep up with her just yet, "Hi, sorry, my name's Nora."

"Jaune..." came the groggy reply as he sat back up and recentered himself.

"Heh, I kinda got carried away there, sorry. I just kinda thought you looked cool. The way you were all sitting and concentrating and stuff. It reminds me of stuff my friend Ren does."

"Oh, yeah, meditating. I do that sometimes, I know other people do too," Jaune had actually looked up meditation techniques from outside his Jedi training from time to time. They sometimes helped with his own focus with the Force.

"Yeah, anyway. I just kinda wanted to see what you were up to. I don't know if I was really thinking all that hard about how you'd react. Ren's kinda been telling me to tone that done but-"

"Nora, what are you doing?" Another figure entered the area and the look on his face held the expression of a man who had done this dance many times before, "I'm sorry is she bothering you?"

"Not really," Jaune admitted at this point, feeling that maybe this was a chance to get to know new people rather than spend all his time working at his training, "I take it you're the Ren she mentioned?"

"Yep, he's my Ren alright!" Nora said before she quickly backspaced verbally, "I mean not that he's mine-mine, I mean we've been together forever, but not together-together I mean-"

"Don't worry, I think I've got it," Jaune smiled as he thought about those friends of his own that he left behind in his hometown of Shiloh. None of them had the ambition to become Huntsmen, and none of them would ever think to come to some place like Beacon, "You guys feel excited about initiation?"

"Like you wouldn't believe!" Nora responded with enthusiasm, almost bouncing up and down even though the carpet floor wouldn't quite allow for it. "That's also when teams are formed too. I'm gonna have to try and think of a way to get me and Ren on the same team."

"We'll just have to see what happens when the time comes," Ren said, "They'll tell us the procedure for building teams tomorrow no doubt."

"Hey, maybe you'll be on our team too, Jaune!"

'Well that would certainly not get boring quickly,' Jaune thought in his head, wondering what it would be like to be partnered up with someone as energetic as this girl.

"Like Ren said, we'll see tomorrow. Who knows, maybe they just draw two names from a hat or something." This thing Jaune said aloud, he knew next to nothing about how teams and partners would be chosen, only that teams were apparently part of the setup.

"I doubt that a school for trained fighters would be that random about how they select their partners." Ren theorized, he was probably right. This school was an institution for training the finest warriors on Remnant, surely they had some sort of system in place.

Jaune, Ren, and Nora spent the rest of the night making small talk. Jaune telling a little about himself while Ren and Nora shared a few stories of their own. He did notice that none of the duo's stories talked about their parents or where exactly they grew up. That was alright though, he didn't expect to learn anyone's life story after just meeting them. As the storm howled outside and the rains came down, Jaune felt that more than just being a place to train and grow, this could also be a place to have a good time and make friends. The Gatekeeper said that he had belonged to a whole order of Jedi once. There were no Jedi here, but there were Huntsmen and Huntresses who basically wanted to do the same things as Jedi did: to help people. The path of a Jedi didn't have to be a lonely one, after all, so, for now, Jaune enjoyed himself, remembering the words of his mother "strangers are just friends you haven't met yet".

* * *

A/N My next chapter in the Knights of Remnant Saga, the Padawan has made it to Beacon. Jaune Arc may have had different instruction than most of his peers, but he'll have challenges of considerable difficulty, training or no training. Initiation is next, and the echoes of forgotten legends will begin to make themselves known in the world. Till next next time, Jankmaster signing off!


	3. Where the Fun Begins

Chapter 3: Where the Fun Begins

* * *

Ever since he had begun his training with the holocron, dreams were not something that came easily anymore. However, when Jaune woke the next day, he felt as though he had seen things in his mind's eye that he couldn't remember anymore. The Gatekeeper spoke of some Jedi having the ability to see into the future and the past. Sometimes the Force spoke in the in dreams of sleep or meditation was what triggered it. For the life of him, Jaune couldn't quite grasp what it was he saw, though he knew that he saw something. That was gonna bother him all day, and that would be a problem considering initiation was today.

He was going to need focus, and if his mind was off somewhere else that wasn't going to come. He ate breakfast with Ren and Nora, the two of them stacking piles of pancakes on their plates while Jaune mostly scarfed down eggs and bacon. The food tasted about what had expected, nothing nearly as good as what his mom cooked, but serviceable enough. Preparing for many hundreds of students, it was probably forgivable they had to cook buffet style with buffet quality. Soon enough it was time to get to the locker rooms for their weapons. Ren and Nora seemed to have their weapons and lockers all ready to go. Jaune on the other hand...

"Was it 262 or 226?" He mumbled to himself as he stumbled around looking for his locker, "I should've written it down."

Jaune had packed his sword and shield in the lockers, much like the other students had packed away their weapons. The difference between Jaune and the others however, was that he didn't keep his primary (or at least his prefered) weapon in the locker room. It was relatively easy to do, since really, no one looked at it and thought it looked anything like a weapon. Clipped onto his belt, looking more like a flashlight than a weapon, was a symbol of the Jedi Order. A symbol no one else recognized, but a symbol nonetheless. It wasn't for him to use in something like a school though. With the way the lightsaber cut through everything he tested with easy, Jaune didn't think it necessarily safe to use here.

It was due to that circumstance, Jaune found himself searching for his family sword and shield. He hadn't practiced with them the same way he practiced with Master Hess' lightsaber, but the skills were related, kinda, ish. It really was different balancing a sword versus balancing a lightsaber. He'd make it work though. Well, he had to if he was gonna make it here at Beacon.

After trying and failing to get the combination out of locker 262, Jaune found that it was locker 226 that responded to the access code he had typed in earlier. The rocket locker opened up and there was Crocea Mors, sword and shield ready to go. Placing the sheath form of the shield on his hip, Jaune held the sword and decided to test it's balance. Giving it a few practice swings he found himself going through the same flourishes as he did with his lightsaber. Without thinking Jaune began to twirl the blade, faster and faster to get a better feel for the balance of the thing. However maybe he was just being a little bit careless about how he was practicing. Case in point, Jaune losing grip of the blade mid flourish causing it to go flying off to the side. Not exactly having the time nor the focus to stop the blade with the Force, Jaune watched as the object careened through the locker rooms to thud right into the locker of another student. Thankfully it appeared no one was seriously hurt, but...

"WHAT ON EARTH WAS THAT!?" An indignant voice screeched for all to hear while Jaune sheepishly gazed in that direction. A girl dressed in all white was apparently not very happy at very nearly avoiding serious injury.

"Hi, uh.. Sorry, that was um.. That is to say," He tried to mumble out his words, but very little in the way of clear speech was coming to him at this point. He did walk over to the area where she was though, he would have to get his sword eventually; might as well bite the bullet now.

"I swear, first thing when I get to this school, one girl causes an explosion in the rain; and the next thing I know I have someone tossing a sword at my head?" This girl seemed to have already had a very "exciting" time here at Beacon, and it was only the first day. "I am going to have words with you, your family, your family's family, and the staff of this institution for ever thinking about letting someone like you into this school!"

"Hold on Weiss," A red headed girl with bronze colored armor stepped right between Jaune and the very angry student, "This was clearly an accident, a very careless one, yes, but still an accident."

It really was careless, and Jaune wouldn't thought more about how he could've let something like that happen, but he was just a little preoccupied.

"Look, I am really sorry and I don't know how that happened. At least no one was hurt?" He offered weakly.

"This level of disregard for a weapon and the safety of other students is unacceptable!"

"If I could just say-"

" _All first year students, report to the Beacon Cliffs for initiation, all first year students report to Beacon Cliffs for initiation,"_ came a voice from on high, ending the conversation.

"I sincerely pray for the safety of whoever is on your team, they're going to need it if this is a common occurrence for you," Weiss said as she stomped off.

"Well, I'll see you around, ah, I never got your name," The redhead said as she gathered her weapons, a sword and spear combo.

"I'm Jaune, Jaune Arc," the young man felt like he'd seen this girl's face around before but he couldn't quite place it.

"Well, I'm Pyrrha, Pyrrha Nikos and next be a bit more careful with your weapon," Pyrrha... hm... that name didn't really ring any bells. Either way the girl was out the door soon enough and Jaune was still left with the task of retrieving his weapon from the locker.

Gripping the handle tightly, Jaune found that it was lodged quite a bit inside the locker. The metal around the impact spot had crumpled quite a bit, and Jaune found himself hoping that he wouldn't be made to pay for a new one of these things. How could something like this have happened to him so easily? He wasn't that careless most of the time, was he? Going from testing a sword one minute to flinging it in another wasn't just stupid, it was down right dangerous. He wasn't even moving the sword that fast, was he? A possible explanation for how the sword moved like it did was him using the Force, but he wasn't doing anything of the sort. At least, he wasn't doing it consciously. For years he had tried to study it, and sometimes it seemed like the more he practiced the more it got away from him.

"Having some trouble there, hotshot?" Ruby and Yang came over to his location, the other blonde looking rather amused while Ruby appeared just a bit worried.

"I uh, well, I managed to nearly kill or maim some of my fellow students on my first day here at Beacon. Not exactly a rousing start," Jaune continued to struggle to remove his sword from the locker. Eventually Yang moved over to the damaged piece of hardware and ripped the sword right out of the locker without a sweat.

"Not a bad weapon looks like," Yang handed the weapon back to Jaune who carefully placed it in its sheath, "I don't know much about swords, not my style, but it looks sharp and shiny."

"Well this sword's been in our family for generations. Taking care of it is kinda a family tradition," Jaune remembered from his earliest years, even before the holocron, that taking care of the heirloom was something his mother tried to teach him and his sisters.

"Well, hopefully you can swing it at Grimm just as good as you can launch it at students," Yang teased, Jaune sighed but had to admit she had a point.

They were probably going to be having some sort of combat based exam to figure this whole thing out. Who knew what they were going to be up against? If Jaune couldn't keep a handle on his weapon in the field, it could mean the difference between life and death.

"I just hope this day doesn't get any crazier."

* * *

"We're launching you off a cliff."

What.

They were launching him off a cliff. They were launching them all off a cliff. Headmaster Ozpin, old and venerable headmaster Ozpin, opened the first day of instruction with that single sentence. _We're launching you off a cliff._

"We are launching you off a cliff into a forest full of Grimm, and they you must make your way to a northern temple. There you will find relics that you must then bring back to these cliffs."

Grimm filled forests and launching people off cliffs, truly this was a school that was run like clockwork.

"Oh, and before I forget, your partner will be assigned today based on the first person you make eye contact with after landing. You'll have to work with them for the next four years."

Oh. Huh. Um...

 _RREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE_

Jaune didn't have much more time to process that information as he was suddenly sent flying high into the air by the panel beneath him. His first reaction was to scream, as was probably appropriate at this time. He screamed a lot, and such screaming was probably loud enough that everyone around him could hear it. As he moved ever upward, Jaune tried get his wits back about him. The world was moving so fast around him that he was certain he was gonna get sick if he didn't close his eyes. So close his eyes he did, and in that moment he suddenly felt very calm.

Situation aside, it was kinda fun to be in the air, free of the ground. The padawan's lungs stopped trying to empty themselves into the air, and with steadier breaths he tried to consider what to do. Jaune had lifted things with the Force before, and even tried to lift himself a few times. Lifting himself into the air required a lot of concentration for a very small result compared to lifting rocks. So this was Jaune's first time in the air in free flight; and to his surprise, once he decided to let go of trying to take control he felt really good about things.

Was it crazy? Probably. Yet it seemed right somehow. Jaune knew that the Force would speak to you in the strangest ways, and that when you followed the Living Force every moment can come with the unexpected. To find your place in the stream of life that flowed through the universe, sometimes you had to lose yourself. Most people probably wouldn't pick being launched into a forest as a time to have some sort of relaxation moment, but Jaune wasn't most people.

Jaune was (trying to be) a Jedi, and his ally (perhaps begrudgingly on its part) was the Force. The blonde knew it had power, he knew it could go amazing things. He would have to trust it here if he was going to survive both this fall and the Grimm that awaited him. Jaune began to feel he was starting to fall now, the momentum of the launch fading to the force of gravity. If he didn't do something to control his descent he would be a metal plated paste on the ground.

His eyes still closed, Jaune used the Force to ensure himself an upright position in the air. From there he tried to sense his relation to distance between air, ground, and the trees. He felt himself slow down as his powers began to push against the pull of gravity. It was working, he was going to-

"AAAAAAAAAH"

Jaune was very quickly plucked out of his moment with the Force as he suddenly felt the impact of metal against metal. Something had hit him, something big. Opening his eyes Jaune found himself staring into very green, very pretty eyes that read equal parts embarrassment, confusion, and shock. It took him a moment to realize who exactly he'd crashed into, but the red hair and armor was a good giveaway. Pyrrha?

"I'm sorry!" She yelped, and Jaune didn't have time to think about what had just happened before they both found themselves colliding with the tree line.

The pair found themselves snapping many branches right off their trees as they barreled through the forest. Pyrrha eventually managed to stop her movement by latching her spear into a tree. Jaune on the other hand thudded very hard into a tree trunk. Sliding down into the forest floor, Jaune looked up at the person he assumed was his partner now. She looked no worse for wear despite how they encountered each other mid air and the subsequent landing. In fact the look in her eyes seemed to have more concern for him than anything else.

"Are you alright, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, jumping down from the trees to offer Jaune a hand.

"Yeah, I think, well, kinda," Jaune allowed Pyrrha to help pull him up and dusted off his jeans, "I uh... sorry that I crashed into you."

"Well, I think I was the one who somehow crashed into you," his new partner looked rather embarrassed at that statement before she tried to explain herself, "I was tumbling through the air but you looked more like you were gliding."

"I tried to guide my fall, but I guess I probably should've been paying more attention to what was around me rather than just what was beneath me," Jaune tried to think about what to do next. "Well, I guess we have to get moving to the temple to find the relics don't we?"

"That seems to be the case at this point," Pyrrha remarked, "So is your Semblance some sort of telekinesis then? You mentioned guiding your fall."

"Uh yeah, I can move things with my mind, that's mainly the gist of it," Jaune wasn't quite sure if he was a good liar, this cover story he'd made up for himself before coming here wasn't exactly foolproof.

During his time training with the holocron, Jaune decided that he had to look more into what the Huntsmen and Huntresses could do when compared to the Jedi. Thank goodness for the internet. The more he looked into it, the more he was confused sometimes. From what he understood, Aura and the Force appeared to be one in the same; energy that all living things shared. The questions arose when you thought about what each thing actually did in practice, especially when you got to the question of Semblances.

The holocron said nothing of individuals having their own unique powers centric to themselves in the Force. Yet for Huntsmen and Huntresses such things were a matter of course. Jaune didn't know if he had a Semblance, but for his part nothing that he could do was outside the scope of what the holocron had recorded other Jedi doing. From what he sort of gathered, it appeared Huntsmen were using Aura in the same way a Jedi might use Force Body or Force Valor. Nothing was entirely certain in this way though, and if he was going to pass as a Huntsman in training he had to come up with a plan.

Said plan involved claiming that telekinesis was his Semblance, it being his most visible power at the moment; and doing more research on what exactly things were. What better place to do it than at a school after all? Questions and answers didn't come easily, but he had to start somewhere.

"My instruction was kinda... different," Jaune didn't quite know how to tell her that his teacher was the imprinted memories of a long dead Knight from space, "He taught me how to fight like him and like his master before him. And I guess it was good enough for me to be accepted."

Not the whole truth, but a decent enough chunk of it from a certain point of view. Jaune was confident in his relative ability to fight with his sword and shield. It wasn't quite like using his lightsaber, but he'd make do. He'd never fought Grimm on the battlefield before, but there always had to be a first time.

"We should be on our way then, shouldn't we?" Pyrrha had gotten out her scroll and tapped on the compass app, "Professor Ozpin said the northern end of the forest would be where the artifacts were waiting for us. You can tell me more about how your teacher instructed you on the way, perhaps."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Though he didn't plan to tell this person he had just gotten partnered with his whole story, there was a kindness and humility about her that he didn't need the Force to sense. "I uh, promise not to throw my sword at you or anything."

That earned him a small chuckle and a warm smile that helped put him at ease, even given their current situation in a Grimm infested forest.

"I thank you for your consideration."

Jaune was once told that every action and event echoed through the Force, and that there was no such thing as chance. He didn't know if that meant everything and everyone had a destiny. Still, it did feel like there was something more than just his bad luck that brought him and Pyrrha down to the ground at the same time. Even in comparison to the great many warriors here, it felt like the Force was strong with Pyrrha. Here was a someone with great power, and more than that, a presence that could not exactly be quantified on the battlefield. Jaune still had a trouble refining that sensing aspect of the Force, another thing to work on. Yet... Speaking of sensing...

Towards the north, like a whisper on the wind, he felt as though something was pulling him to the north east. It was a different feeling than anything he had let his mind seek out before. It was something old, he was sure of it. He didn't know why, but he felt as though the Force was emanating strongly from that area. Were the relics that Ozpin had placed in the north something special? He had no idea, all he knew was that they were due north anyway. Trust your instincts, trust in the Force, he was once told, he would have to do that along with trusting his new partner as they worked to make it through the forest.

"Well, I guess this is where the fun begins," Jaune joked to Pyrrha, "Northward then?"

"Lead the way, Jaune," And northward they went, while upon the cliffs two adults watched the scene from above with cameras.

* * *

Headmaster Ozpin gazed at his scroll screen that was split in half. One half of the screen had the recordings of the students, the other had one student's transcripts in particular. Jaune Arc, scion of a long line of warriors, only son of Redoran and Lucia Arc. Just looking at him, Ozpin knew he was different in a very dangerous way. Lo and behold his transcripts tried to paint the picture of an ordinary Huntsman-in-training, but all of these sources were conveniently unverifiable.

Taking another sip of his drink, Ozpin could not shake the sense of fatigue that had grown on him over the years. Now this? This in addition to everything else, this anomaly would warrant careful observation. There were other students to also consider, Ms. Rose, Ms. Nikos, and so many others who came to Beacon this year. These were all children with the potential to be great champions of the people of Remnant, but they would have to be guided carefully. There were dangers and threat, secrets and stories, legends and the impossible to defend against. He hoped they would be ready, danger could come from anywhere in this new day and age. From land, the sea, the air, and from what he had been learning, from much farther and farther away.

* * *

A/N Well... at least Jaune didn't have to go look for power converters, though I suppose he would prefer that to going into a Grimm filled forest.

Jedi in training or not, this is still Jaune, so you may or may not see this kind of foibles again from our blonde padawan. May the Force be with you, review and thank you all who have followed this story!


	4. Your Senses are not that Attuned

Chapter 4: Your Senses are not that Attuned

* * *

Moving to the north, Jaune could feel the presence getting closer. As he got closer, he began to understand what he was feeling. The dark side of the Force was something he had been told about through his training, but to actually feel its presence was another thing entirely. It was all around them in the Grimm, though none of them were close at this moment. What he was feeling was something different, at least, he thought it was different. Northward continued to lead Jaune and Pyrrha closer to the source of the presence, and it seemed that soon enough Pyrrha could detect that he was becoming uneasy.

"Jaune, is something the matter?"

"Something's out here, something big," Jaune's grip on his sword tightened considerably while his eyes scanned for threats, "We're getting closer, I can feel it."

His partner looked deep in thought for a moment before nodding.

"Yes, I think I can sense it too," Pyrrha concluded, they continued to walk forward but the stroll was tenser as the two fighters began to move closer to their intended destination.

It was after another 20 minutes of tense exploration that they reached a clearing and an opening to a cave. There were markings upon the cave, seemingly indicating that something dangerous was here. It wasn't the markings that Jaune was heeding the most, however. The Force echoed from that cave in a way Jaune had never quite felt before. He could feel the cold touch of the dark side calling out to him. It was strangely alluring, like a song that he couldn't get out of his head. The Gatekeeper had been intimately familiar with the ways of the Sith, and among his most fervent warnings was the dangers of the temptation of the dark side.

And yet, the young man wanted nothing more than to venture toward the presence in the Force. If he did not investigate this, who knew when he would have the chance to do so later?

"It's here," Jaune said firmly, "Whatever it is, I can feel something important is down there."

"Do you think the relics could be down there as well?" Pyrrha questioned, "It might make sense for the Headmaster to put significant obstacles in our way."

"There's only one way to find out," Jaune began to make torches for the two of them, it wouldn't do them any good to navigate in total darkness.

Jaune took point, and from there the two of them made their way into the cave. The more they walked the more Jaune could feel the Force growing stronger in the area. This strength was different than anything he had known prior. The Living Force seemed to gather in strength where life and energy flowed in abundance. A simple forest, a city teeming with life, Beacon with its masses of powerful students, those were places where the light side of the Living Force called places of power.

Here there weren't any signs of life. No moss on the rocks, no bats on the ceilings, not even any insects or rodents that Jaune could see or sense. This cave was lifeless, and yet the Force and the dark side flowed through here like a waterfall. It put him on edge, and as he moved forward he felt like every shadow could hold some sort of danger. He sensed no immediate threat for now, but that could change swiftly.

They had been walking for several minutes when suddenly a harsh wind, or something like the wind, echoed from the far side of the cave. Jaune and Pyrrha had their torches extinguished in an instant and the entrance's light was far behind them.

"What was that?" Pyrrha drew her weapon despite being unable to see, operating partly out of instinct it would seem. "Jaune, are you alright?"

"Fine, but blind isn't a good mode for me," Jaune debated using his lightsaber for a light source, but the chill that quickly swept through his mind put paid to those thoughts.

They were not alone.

The first visual sign that something was wrong was the new light that appeared in front of them. It was small at first, minuscule even, but began to grow; it was getting closer. As it grew the feeling of dread in Jaune's mind increased. The Force was telling him that he and Pyrrha were in danger. Soon enough he began to hear whatever it was, the sound of the rocks moving was not a comforting one to Jaune. They had to get out. They had to get out now!

"Time to go!" Jaune found himself grasping for Pyrrha's hand in the dark. He found her wrist and for a moment she tensed up before allowing herself to relax.

"I most certainly agree!" They turned right back aground towards where they hoped the entrance was. Thankfully they didn't get turned around so badly that the first thing they ran into was the wall.

They ran frantically and at last began to see a glimmer of light where the entrance was. The downside was that they were still being followed, followed quickly, by something big. The footfalls of the creature grew louder and louder, and the Force itself seeming to be urging him to run. He thought he might've been screaming, he thought Pyrrha might've been a screaming just a little bit too. The Force gave strength to his legs and a will to run, and run they did.

Daylight was a welcoming sight as the duo burst from the cave. The bright sunlight was blinding at first but Jaune couldn't care less as he and Pyrrha simply continued running and running without pause. He told himself he probably shouldn't look back behind him, but he failed at listening to himself. He turned his head around for a moment to see a giant scorpion based Grimm, a Death Stalker, if he remembered correctly. The massive beast held a furious presence in the Force, but Jaune could still feel a presence emanating from the cave behind him.

He didn't have much time to think about that as the Death Stalker chased them into the trees. Jaune and Pyrrha lept over root and stem while the Grimm simply charged through the woods. Ancient oak and sturdy pine were no match for this beast's tenacity and strength. It tasted fear on the wind, and that fear was like blood in the water to the monster.

While the trees did slow it down a bit, slowly but surely the sword and shield duo managed to gain distance from the Death Stalker. They could outrun the creature for now, but they still had to find the relics and get back to the cliffs. That would certainly be a difficult task with this thing approaching right behind them.

The Force worked in strange ways though, because as they burst from the treeline into another clearing, Jaune was surprised by the sight of several other students and some ruins that seemed to indicate they were there. He recognized Ren and Nora among the group first, with Yang and another girl waiting there as well.

"Found our temple!" Jaune gasped while the two of them stumbled towards the temple.

"Heya Jaune!" Nora chirped up as soon as she saw him, "You having a busy day?"

"Oh it's been a great time," Jaune managed to catch his breath for a moment, now standing in the temple circle with all the others.

With the chance to stop for a breather, Jaune also found himself sensing another presence above them. Looking to the skies, the padawan saw a giant Nevermore circling above them. Wait, was there someone attached to that bird? Narrowing his eyes Jaune found a spec of white amidst the darkness and to his astonishment he realized, that was Weiss. How in the world did she get up there, and how the hell was she going to get down?

That train of thought was interrupted by Ruby, who came speeding towards the temple. She was covered in leaves, so Jaune could only assume she had taken a tumble through the trees at some point. Her first instinct, of course, was to attempt to make contact with her sister, but Nora was soon in between the two of them. That interaction would have to wait though, as it appeared attention was now focused on the giant Nevermore with its unwilling passenger.

"That's your partner up there, isn't it?" The dark haired girl who Jaune could only assume was Yang's partner asked Ruby.

"Oh yeah, Weiss will be fine," Ruby attempted to wave off the question while Pyrrha, in particular, looked worried.

"She's rather high up there," Pyrrha noted.

"And now she's falling," Ren made the final poignant observation as Weiss's grip began to at last slip and she began to fall to the earth.

Acting partly on instinct if nothing else, Jaune saw the falling girl and attempted to reach out with the Force to grab her. Almost as soon as he tried he realized how difficult a task this was going to be, she was at a considerable distance from her and she was falling fast. Stretching out both his hands and closing his eyes, Jaune attempted to steady Weiss' fall so at least she wouldn't end up like a bug on a windshield.

The others seemed to notice what he was doing, Pyrrha realizing it first. She had seen Jaune attempt to control his own descent with the Force during the launch, now she was watching him work in a slightly more controllable situation. They all saw Jaune stretching out his arms and they all saw Weiss' fall begin to take a much slower pace.

"Are you-" Yang tried to ask but she was quieted by Pyrrha quickly.

Weiss herself realized her changed situation soon enough and rather than question the source, sought to take advantage of it. Her fall no longer a wild dive, she found the focus to draw upon her sword and her glyphs to create a platform upon which to land still several feet above the ground. Leaping onto that, she then quickly raced towards the assembled group with a cross look on her face. She looked to Jaune first, perhaps realizing that he had been at least partially responsible for her landing being more controlled than it ought to be.

"It appears that when you're not throwing swords at people's heads, you can actually be of help," Not exactly a thank you, but then again he did nearly maim her in the locker rooms. This was progress.

"I uh, wanted to try." Jaune managed to say before Ruby became the new center of attention for the white-haired girl.

"I am almost certain that shortcut was about the most ridiculous stunt we possibly could have employed," Weiss now had her eyes fixed on Ruby, who seemed an odd mixture of shy and annoyed at Weiss' words.

"Well it got us here didn't it?" she asked back.

"I'm not disputing that, however, there certainly are much safer ways to get around."

"I don't mean to interrupt, but we have a rather large problem on our hands," Pyrrha pointed to the treeline where the Death Stalker that had been chasing Jaune and Pyrrha burst into the clearing.

"Don't worry I got this!" Ruby exclaimed, rocketing off with her weapon to confront the beast.

"Hold on, Ruby wait!" Yang was too late to stop her sister who went barreling in at full speed against the Death Stalker.

Ruby's weapon proved ineffective against the monster's thick armor at range and close quarters. The metal of the scythe and the bullets it fired bounced off the carapace of the scorpion-like Grimm as if she was using something made of plastic. Seeing this outcome, Ruby seemed to prefer a tactical retreat.

Unfortunately for Ruby, this was the exact time that the Nevermore chose to focus down on her and Yang. A multitude of feathers shot out from the Nevemore's wings, pinning Ruby down and preventing Yang from aiding her. Jaune was about to move towards the action, but his speed was outmatched by a white blur that quickly lept to Ruby's aid.

Weiss' glyphs got her towards the target area, and her mastery of Dust enabled her to entrap the Death Stalker's tail. Jaune didn't catch what was said between the two partners, but he had a feeling it was something positive for both of them. Eight students were now assembled in the ruins. Meanwhile, the Death Stalker was entrapped for now, but the Nevermore was circling back towards their position.

"If we don't move soon that thing's gonna cut off our escape route," Jaune surmised as he looked back towards the cliffs.

"Then we should move fast, grab our objectives and go," Weiss looked to the relics that were stationed on the pedestals.

"The mission was to get here, get the relics, and get back to the cliffs. We don't have to fight these things." Ruby seemed to have calmed down from her earlier gung-ho attitude, now a bit more focused on the mission at hand.

"I certainly don't mind the idea of living to fight another day," Pyrrha surmised feelings similar to Jaune's own as he went to go grab a relic for the both of them.

He ended up choosing a rook piece, while Ruby to his left picked up a knight. That was one thing off the checklist, but now it was a question of making it back to the cliffs. The Death Stalker's ice trap was not going to hold forever, and the cracking of ice alerted everyone to the reality of the situation.

"Shall we get a move on?" Ren spoke for them all and eight pairs of legs began moving onwards through the forest.

Ruby and Jaune seemed to find themselves at the head of the pack, Jaune channeling some of the Force to give extra spring to his step. This entire day he had been relying on it more and more to help keep fatigue away and keep adrenaline pumping. The Force was infinite, but his focus and energy were not. He was going to have to have a big dinner and a big nap after all this was over.

The two large Grimm still on their tails, the group of teenagers made it to the cliffs and set of ruins that seemed to connect upwards to the cliffs. At this point, it appeared that continuing to run was no longer going to be an option soon. Neither Grimm looked liable to give up the pursuit so soon, and it would be too risky to try and climb the ruins staircases with a potential attack coming for them. They still had to try though, the Nevermore would be a big problem in this area, especially with its ranged attacks. They might not have to deal with the Death Stalker if they got across the bridge in time.

"Somebody lay down covering fire!" Jaune found himself giving orders while trying to make sure Nevermore feathers didn't turn him into a pincushion.

"Roger Roger!" Nora responded, loading up her grenades for action, "Time to make Dust fly!"

Nora launched a series of grenades at the Nevermore which appeared to annoy it more than hurt it. Still, it was enough to convince the giant Grimm to leave the area, at least for now. Problem was that the time they spent fighting the Nevermore had let the Deathstalker catch up to them. It was in striking range now, and only quick action would get them out of here alive. They had to get across the bridge, now!

With Pyrrha laying down suppressing fire, most of the group made it onto the bridge just in time. The Death Stalker apparently wasn't fond of its chances of supporting itself on the bridge. It looked like they were home free, but then came a roaring sound from on high. The Nevermore had returned and was coming it at a very steep angle. It didn't look like the bird was trying to use its feathers as a weapon this time it looked like...

"Oh shi-"

With a crash, the Nevermore throttled through the aged stone structure of the bridge. A huge section of the bridge fell down into the chasm below, and now the group was separated. Worse still, the group on the other side of the bridge now had the Deathstalker to deal with. They needed help, it was time to make a stand here. Jaune turned to Nora, who seemed to have a similar train of thought.

"Let's move!" Jaune's orders got a wide grin from Nora whose eyes held no trace of fear.

"Sounds like a plan!"

With a running start, Jaune called upon the Force to push him across the chasm. Learning to leap with the Force was one of his earliest memories, and at this point, the gap was easily traversed. Less easily managed was the strike that he attempted with his blade. He had attempted to use the momentum of the jump to fuel the slash into the Grimm's body, but he was forced back after the armored hide continued to resist his blade.

Nora tried to circumvent this problem by slamming her hammer down into the Grimm's armor after launching herself, she was probably hoping to quash the insides of the armor with concussive force. That didn't work either and sent her backward into Blake who was forced to join the other battle currently raging. No time to think about that now though, they had to keep the pressure up on the Death Stalker.

"Get in close, we have to finish this thing fast!" Jaune was thinking about the collapsing bridge, if they stayed there any longer the chances of them falling into the canyon would increase rapidly.

"On your mark!" Pyrrha seemed to understand his logic quickly, barreling towards the Grimm to move in for more slashing attacks.

Jaune reacted quickly to block with his own shield those strikes that could harm his partner as Ren and Nora prepared their own offensive. While Nora laid down cover fire with more grenades her partner moved in close with a burst of submachine gun blasts. They peppered the Grimm's armor but still seemed to lack the force needed to really make a dent in this thing.

Jaune surveyed the battlefield for a quick half a second and saw his ammunition. The Death Stalker and Nevermore, by virtue of their own destructive nature, had given him some useful tools. Various large stone pieces were now loose and ready, capable of being lifted and thrown with the Force. The low rumbling of moving rock grabbed Pyrrha's attention first, her smile confirming her acceptance of this plan.

Not without considerable effort, Jaune had gathered quite a few rocks into the air, some of them the size of beds. With a grunt of effort, he hurled them with all his strength at the Grimm, careful not to hit any of his teammates. His full focus was on this task, and the heavy stone slabs crashed into the armored carapace of the Grimm with great effect. Cracks were beginning to open in the armor, and his teammates could seem them quickly.

Pyrrha threw her spear in between the opening chinks in the frontal armor, showing pinpoint accuracy and eliciting a scream of pain from the Grimm. Ren opted to move upwards against his target, leaping up to make a slash at the connection between the Grimm's deadly slinger and its tail. While his blades did not serve the stinger from the tail, another strike would likely do it.

"Pyrrha, you got it?" Jaune didn't need to elaborate on the weakness, the warrior woman recognized the opening in an instant.

"With pleasure," Her shield flew like a discus through the air and its metal edge proved to be sharp and deadly.

The Death Stalker's stinger fell off and lodged itself into the beast's abdomen. Time to finish this.

"Ready to end this, Nora?"

"Like a big game at the fair!" Shooting off a grenade at her feet, the blast force propelled her upwards. Jaune added a bit of his own power to both the rise and fall, perhaps a little too much.

Either way, Nora brought down her hammer hard upon the Grimm, hard enough in fact to collapse the rock and bridge that the Grimm was standing on. Pyrrha quickly retrieved her spear from the Grimm and let the momentum carry her to the ground. Jaune tried to do the same thing, but even with the Force aiding him ended up only managing to land on his ass. To his credit, he got up to his feet quickly enough, and was able to watch in awe as Team RWBY dispatched the Nevermore in a very dramatic fashion. It wasn't every day you saw a girl drag a giant Grimm up the side of a Cliff and behead it.

"Well, it looks like the Force is with them," Jaune said to no one in particular.

* * *

"And next on the list, Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren, and Nora Valkyrie, as the holders of the White Rook pieces, you shall be christened Team JNPR, led by..."

Geez they had been sitting through this ceremony thing for hours... And they hadn't even had dinner yet. Jaune hardly was paying attention by this point, even if it was his team that was being called up. The sooner Ozpin finished this the sooner he could get to the mess hall and then to finally getting his stuff into a dorm.

"Jaune Arc!" Wait, wait, he was the leader?

Jaune's surprised didn't seem to register with Ozpin who simply offered his congratulations. Strangely, the young Jedi could not help but feel a sense of unease around Ozpin. It was hard to pinpoint, but even with his ill refined senses, Jaune could see the Force moved around the Headmaster in strange ways. He would have to meditate on this some more. He was still a bit lost in his thoughts even once they settled into their dorms. Jaune had tucked away the Holocron in his bags, and at this point should've been ready to bunk down. However, he still couldn't shake that weird sense he got from Ozpin; and his thoughts were also beginning to turn back to that cave where the dark side seemed so

He was moved out of his reverie by Pyrrha who gave him a nudge that nearly toppled him over.

"Are you alright, you seem a bit far away in your mind." Her tone was gentle and it was a genuine question. Jaune simply shrugged in response and made up something.

"It's nothing really, I guess it's just the shock of being made leader and everything else that's happened today."

"Don't worry Jaune, I'm sure you'll do just fine as our leader," Pyrrha reassured.

"Yeah Captain!" Nora's voice came bursting into the conversation with Ren trying to hide his embarrassment, he being the one of the pair to realize this might be a two-person conversation. "We beat up a giant Death Stalker and totally passed initiation, what's gonna be worse than that?"

"While I think it's unwise to tempt fate by asking such things, I do think Nora has a point," Ren offered, "If we could survive initiation, I'm sure we'll be prepared to face whatever this school can throw at us."

Jaune smiled at his new teammate's confidence, putting away thoughts of the Force and the dark side for now.

"Well, I hope I can do my job as leader and kept this team working as the best team in Beacon!" Jaune felt the urge to be a little dramatic for fun's sake, and Nora especially seemed to buy into it.

"Hell yeah! We're gonna be the greatest team Beacon has ever seen! All in favor say aye!"

"Aye!" The three others in the room responded loudly.

"Nay!" Came a voice from the outside, one that Jaune recognized as Ruby.

That earned a good deal of laughter all around and soon Jaune could hear Weiss reprimanding Ruby for being loud when others were trying to sleep. Jaune found himself relaxing at last, letting potential worries and mysterious fade into the background for now. One day at a time, live in the moment, that was how he was supposed to feel the Living Force. The Force that was with everyone in this room. He could feel it, there was energy here unlike anywhere else. It was a good idea to come to Beacon, he could learn here, grow here, make friends here. He didn't have a Jedi Temple so this would be the next best thing. He didn't pretend to understand where all their paths would lead, but he was glad his path had led him here to this time and place. This was going to be an experience for sure.

* * *

Dromund Kaas was hardly the most hospitable of planets, but it was home. Moura hated the rain, it made her black cloak heavy and damp. Walking through the metal streets of the capital during this season was a chore. If she could she would've taken a speeder, but hers was in the shop after breaking down due to the damp conditions on this planet.

Curse it all, curse their exile, curse the Jedi and the Republic for forcing the proud Sith to waste away on the edges of the galaxy. The young Mirialan Sith continued to walk however, her purpose clear throughout this storm. She had been summoned, and in her bones, she could feel that it was of great importance. For years she had trained in the dark side of the Force, and soon she would be given the title of Darth, she was sure of it.

There was no small amount of anxiety hidden behind her yellow eyes, but she dared not show it to anyone. Sith have no fear, they controlled it, and manipulated the fear of others. They would not be able to bring their rightful rule of the galaxy into play if they did not have the resolve to make it happen. The Jedi had defeated them once before, it would not happen a second time.

Moura found her way to her master's compound, a dull and dour set of metal buildings draped with Sith insignias. Under the watchful eyes of servants and battle droids, she made her way to the main chamber. There her master stood, tall and imposing as he ever was. Her master was one of the greatest warriors of the Sith Empire, and she was honored to be his apprentice. Kneeling low and bowing her head, Moura began the conversation.

"What is thy bidding, my master?"

"Your final test is at hand, my apprentice." His voice was as cold and harsh as it had always been, hearing it would bring shivers up the spines of lesser beings.

A hologram image of a planet appeared before her. It appeared to be a basic continental world, primarily ocean with a great deal of landmass for settlement. She felt she had seen this planet before somewhere, but she could rightly hazard a correct guess.

"This world stands upon our gateway to the Outer Rim. The indigenous people call it, Remnant."

"I remember now," Moura realized, "The people there are developed to an extent, but have no knowledge of anything resembling space flight."

"You are correct, young one. Before we can wage war upon the Jedi, we must have the road to the wider galaxy open. To do that, we must conquer this world and make it our own."

"Then we are preparing to fight the Jedi within our lifetimes?"

To take the fight to the ancient enemy, that was the dream so many Sith had grown up on. Many would want to live that dream, only to realize that the Emperor and the Dark Council did not yet believe the time was right to strike at the Jedi. That the war building for over 1,000 years would soon come to pass.

"Do not presume too much. Everything must be done in its due time if our revenge is to be complete. Your mission is to scout the planet, and then give reports on its defenses, culture, and capabilities. When you have finished, you will report back to me and me alone. Is that understood?"

Her first unaccompanied mission outside of Dromund Kaas... Her heart beat wildly in her chest, but the young Sith did her best to maintain a visage of calm. She could not fail. Failure was for the weak, and there was no place for weakness among the Sith.

"It is, I will discover this planet's secrets, if any exist. I will not fail you."

"See that you do not. This is your first mission on your own, and if you succeed you will be honored. Should you fail, the consequences shall be grave."

There was nothing else that needed to be said, and this seemed like a simple enough assignment. Soon the title of Darth would be within her grasp. The ships would be waiting on the loading dock. The Force would be with her, and what could this backwater planet possibly hold that could challenge her? After bowing once more to her master, Moura left the chamber and strode forth with confidence. Soon the Sith would return from their exile, and all would fear the wielders of the dark side. The galaxy would tremble, and soon the Sith's power, her power, would at last reign supreme.

* * *

A/N Dun Dun Dun...

The Sith have targeted Remnant, but it doesn't look like they're sending a fleet and army soon. What shall be the fate of the small little planet on the edge of space? One thing's for sure, the fate of many will be decided by what happens in a planet the rest of the galaxy knows next to nothing about. Anyway, read and review, thanks for continuing with me!


	5. Saber Techniques and Wit

Chapter 5: Saber Techniques and Wit

* * *

For Team JNPR, things had begun to settle into a routine after a few hectic first weeks. By this time, the pace of life at Beacon Academy had begun to really sink into its normal waves and motions. Classes about Aura, combat, Dust, and history filled days; along with occasional field trips outside the classroom. Friend groups inside and outside of teams had been formed by this point.

Right now, Pyrrha Nikos of Team JNPR was watching one of the more exciting things to see at school. Jaune Arc, her leader, and partner, was going up against Cardin Winchester. Pyrrha was a born warrior, a prodigy that could sweep past the competition. It had been a long time since she had been in a fight between relative equals. That was why watching the event that was unfolding in front of her was interesting.

While most students didn't pay it much mind, the fights between Cardin and Jaune were some of her favor fights to watch. Pyrrha had seen enough one-sided duels (many of which she had been a part of) that they all sort of blurred together. This was different, this was refreshing. When she watched Cardin fight with Jaune she didn't exactly know who was going to win.

Cardin clearly had the edge in raw power over Jaune. He also held a significant advantage in height and reach. If Jaune couldn't get inside his line then Cardin could control the momentum of the fight. The leader of team CRDL knew that better than anyone else. His strikes would be wide sweeping things dedicated to pressing the power of his swing while keeping his opponent at bay. When Cardin had control of the fight he could batter away at Jaune's defenses while holding the distance necessary to keep out of harm's way. It wasn't exactly elegant or graceful, but it could get the job done. Cardin moved on the offensive like a battering ram with his heavy armor and mace, attempting to crush his opposition.

Jaune's tactics were notably always more defensive than Cardin's, his gambits usually revolving around finding a weakness in Cardin's technique and then pressing an offensive. One might think such a thing would be easy with how unrefined the mace work looked, but Cardin's work was actually the more practiced of the two. Jaune's swordsmanship was uneven in many places as if the weapon wasn't quite familiar to him. Pyrrha found it odd that Jaune seemed to not hold what she considered a comprehensive skill with his chosen weapon. His footwork was usually proficient, and he understood the swordpoint zones, but his utilization of his shield often left much to be desired.

Pyrrha wondered if perhaps Jaune would've been better served not using his shield in combat, and trading a longsword for a half-hand sword. Still, longsword and shield were his weapons, and that was what he was using to fight Cardin. Sometimes he would win, other times he would not.

Jaune was on the attack now, an unusual thing for him to do, but he was keeping the pressure up. Quick slashing attacks were trying to control and disrupt Cardin's central line, a solid tactic if he could keep it up. Cardin had made a mistake earlier in this duel, over-committing to an attack and leaving himself open. Attack, attack, attack, was something Pyrrha found herself internally chanting while Jaune kept up a barrage of attacks. Slamming blade against metal and aura, it was only a matter of time until-

"Arrgh!" A crash of metal against metal and the aura of Cardin Winchester flashed into the red.

"We have a victor," Ms. Goodwitch said simply, "Jaune Arc, congratulations."

Jaune was panting heavily, his aura in the high yellow area while Cardin glowered on the ground. Refusing Jaune's hand up, he walked on over to his teammates who glared at JNPR's leader. Cardin grumbled lightly while class concluded and everyone was dismissed. As they made their way out of class, Pyrrha looked to her leader and saw he seemed to have a very tired and agitated look on his face.

"Jaune, is something wrong?" She asked her partner as they entered into a hallway.

"No, nothing's the matter," He answered a bit too quickly.

Pyrrha decided to let the matter drop for the moment but internally still wondered what troubled Jaune.

All told, Pyrrha Nikos didn't quite know what to make of Jaune Arc. The tall and lanky young man's first impression was him throwing a sword in the locker room and then she literally crashed into him. He'd proven his training and instincts in the Emerald Forest, but a person there always seemed to be something distant about him. She considered him a friend, and she was thankful for that. He could talk and laugh with her in a way few did after she'd become an icon of Sanctum Academy. It was a great feeling to meet someone who didn't know of her status there, but it always did seem like Jaune's mind was far away somewhere.

Time had passed to dinner and it was with great gusto that Nora led the way for Team JNPR into the dining hall. Pyrrha couldn't help but smile at Nora's incredible energy, in the short time she'd know the orange haired girl she quickly realized that even among Huntresses Nora had an appetite to match her enthusiasm for almost everything she did. Ms. Valkyrie would shoot to the front of the line like a bullet train, Ren somehow keeping pace while Pyrrha and Jaune brought up the rear of the formation.

After getting their grub and sitting down Team JNPR was quickly joined by Team RWBY who was looking bored out of their minds. Today was the day they had Professor Port's class before dinner and it showed. Ruby and her team appeared completely zoned out before they sat down, save perhaps Weiss. She looked as proper as always, though Pyrrha suspected that she had also tuned out most of Professor Port's lectures. Once they sat down their heads seemed to get back to normal though.

"So Jaune managed to get a win over Cardin again yeah?" Yang chuckled a little bit at the expense of team CRDL's leader, "Think you can make it a gap or is it gonna be a dead heat still?"

"The Cap'n's gonna absolutely cream him next time, I can guarantee it!" Nora answered for her leader earning a nervous laugh from Jaune.

"Look, I'm gonna try and do my best. I just want to not fall behind everyone else, that's what I mainly hope for," Jaune gave his own thoughts on the matter.

The eight people ensemble continued eating for a bit before Pyrrha decided to pipe up with her own question.

"How's your studying for Dr. Oobleck's history test on Friday going?" Pyrrha asked politely to the other team.

"It's... well..."

"It's very hard to get Ruby to sit in front of the history book and read it," Blake clarified for everyone.

"Hey, it's not my fault textbooks are able to make almost everything boring. I like learning about people doing great and heroic things, but somehow textbooks are able to take the fun out of everything."

"History can be pretty cool Ruby," Jaune's comment got him an exhausted sigh from the younger girl, "Sometimes it is about how you're learning it."

The conversation between the people at the table went on like that for the rest of the dinner period. Complaining about homework, teachers, and the lack of free time that came with those things, normal things that normal teenagers did. Pyrrha liked that. Pyrrha liked this sense of comradery bound by late night studying and the endless struggle against busy work.

When the dinner period ending, free period would begin, and it was at this time Pyrrha remembered Jaune usually left the team to do some extra studying. At least that's what he told everyone. Despite the fact that they were partners and hopefully friends, Pyrrha couldn't shake the feeling that wasn't exactly what he was doing. She trusted that he wasn't doing anything insidious, he didn't seem like that kind of person, but Pyrrha realized that she had never actually offered to accompany Jaune on his extra study sessions.

It couldn't hurt to go looking for him to help him out, right? She was his partner after all, she was about to call Jaune on his scroll but it was almost as if something was telling her it would be better to explore on her own. Something, a Huntress's in training's intuition perhaps, seemed to guide her steps. It was hard to explain, but she found herself eventually coming to a door to the rooftop. After opening the door she walked up the stairs and then exited out the rooftop.

It was there she saw her leader with a weapon she had never seen him use before. It appeared to be some sort of sword made of light, creating a sound that seemed to emanate its power. Jaune appeared to be practice some sort of form with the blade. Each movement was extremely careful and deliberate. Pyrrha could tell that these movements were part of a rhythm or pattern though she did not know which. It reminded her of some of the old Mistralian Fencing Manuals though knew enough about those to know this was not from those books.

For several moments she was silent as she watched the forms play out. It appeared his technique was much like the one he used in combat with Cardin. The swordplay was more focused on defense, though significantly different given the lack of a shield. Economy of motion and momentum was at play here, though not entirely mastered. However, Pyrrha could tell all of Jaune's focus was in this endeavor, that was probably why he had not noticed her yet.

After a few more repetitions Jaune relaxed his stance and deactivated the blade, leaving only a metal cylinder in its place. It was only after he turned around he realized his partner was there and met her gaze.

"Wha- Pyrrha I-" His weapon clattered to the ground and rolled over to Pyrrha who picked it up for him.

"Hello again," She managed to speak out as she held the strange weapon in her hands.

Heat did not seep through her gauntlets so it appeared this thing was cool to the touch. Several knobs and buttons adorn the handle which Pyrrha assumed controled the blade. It felt somewhat heavy in her hands, understandable given the power it seemed to hold. Looking at the object could only yield so much information, however, maybe it was finally time to learn a little bit more about her partner.

"Pyrrha can I have that back please," Jaune held out his arm and Pyrrha carefully put the weapon back in his hand, "Thanks, I suppose I have a bit of explaining to do don't I?"

"Well, at least this does explain what you do most free evening periods," Pyrrha didn't want to make things feel awkward or strange, but she did want some answers, just a little bit would help her. "I assume this goes back to your training before you came to Beacon."

"Yes," Jaune sighed and he seemed to be deep in thought, looking as much at the stars and the clouds as much as he was Pyrrha. "I know I haven't said a lot and that you probably would like to know more so..."

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, after exhaling it seemed it did begin to relax a little bit and then clipped the weapon onto his belt.

"I think I'm going to tell a story," Jaune's voice and mood seemed tired but also resolute, and Pyrrha was happy he apparently trusted her enough to reveal something that obviously was of significant importance to him.

"I'm willing to listen," Pyrrha Nikos had the feeling this might be a long tale, especially since Jaune sat down on the ground.

"I guess this story doesn't even really begin with me. It's all going to sound crazy, but the story really begins like this," Pyrrha wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it probably wasn't the next words Jaune said.

"It begins a long time ago on another planet far, far away."

* * *

A/N Sorry for the long wait guys, I've been rather busy and had a lot of things to take care of. Hopefully, this new chapter will lead to some more interesting developments. The Force works in mysterious ways.

Until next time, may the Force be with you, always!


End file.
